The New York Jets are a popular professional American football team located in the New York metro area. The team is an active member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League. The Jets were established in 1959 – initially as the Titans of New York, an original member of the American Football League (AFL). The Titans changed its name to the New York Jets in 1963.
Football is undoubtedly a popular sport in the United States. With so much happening in the NFL, fans always tend to be on the lookout for something new. The New York Jets is a team that definitely falls under this category. Despite their long drought and not being one of the most successful teams in the NFL, the Jets have a pretty interesting history.
If you’re a fan of the New York Jets, then you are up to something interesting. In this article, we’ll look into the rich history of the New York Jets, as well as other information you might find amusing.
Who Are the New York Jets
The New York Jets is a football team known for its dominant lineup and state-of-the-art stadium.
As mentioned earlier, the Jets compete in the National Football League, famously known as NFL, as a member club of the NFL’s American Football Conference (AFC) East division.
The team’s headquarters is located at Florham Park, New Jersey.
The team has a unique arrangement when it comes to their home stadium. The Jets play their home games in MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, wherein they share the stadium with another big NFL team, the New York Giants.
The franchise is corporately registered as New York Jets, LLC.
The History of the Jets
The team was established on August 14, 1959, as the Titans of New York. The Titans were among the original members of the American Football League (AFL) and joined the NFL in the AFL–NFL merger in 1970.
The team began to play at Shea Stadium upon its opening in 1964; four years later, they moved to Giants Stadium, which they called home until 1987, when they moved back to East Rutherford.
In 1968, the Jets reached a milestone, advancing to the playoffs for the first time. This was a huge achievement for the Jets, especially when they got the chance to compete in Super Bowl III. The season was a success, and the Jets defeated the Baltimore Colts, earning them the championship for that year.
Since the team’s championship in 1968, the Jets have appeared in the playoffs 13 times; however, they have yet to return to the Super Bowl or win a playoff game since their victory in Super Bowl III.
The franchise is currently valued at an estimated four billion US dollars, including them among the most valuable sports franchises in the world.
The team currently is among the top team with the longest drought, along with the Detroit Lions, who have never got the chance to play in a Super Bowl. In addition to learning about the interesting history of New York Jets, explore on The Evolution of Boxing in Madison Square Garden
Notable Players that Played for the New York Jets
Some of the most popular players to have played for the Jets over the years include Joe Namath, Curtis Martin, Don Maynard, Winston Hill, Weeb Ewbank, and Kevin Mawae.
Namath is considered one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985.
Martin is the Jets’ all-time leading rusher and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2012.
Maynard is the Jets’ all-time leading receiver and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1987.
Hill is considered one of the best offensive linemen in NFL history and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2020.
Ewbank is the only head coach to have won both an AFL and NFL championship.
Mawae is considered one of the best centers of all time and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2019.
These are only some of the notable people to have contributed to the team’s success over the years.
There are many more players, coaches, and staff members that have helped make the Jets the team it is today.
The MetLife Stadium
MetLife Stadium is the home of the New York Jets American football team.
The stadium is located in East Rutherford, New Jersey, and has a capacity of 82,500 people. It’s the largest stadium in the National Football League (NFL) and costs an estimated $1.6 billion to build.
The stadium opened in 2010 and was designed by different architectural firms, including 360 Architecture, Rockwell Group, EwingCole, and Bruce Mau Design, Inc.
MetLife Stadium doesn’t have a roof which allows games to be less flexible playing in all weather conditions. The stadium also has a state-of-the-art LED lighting system which can create millions of different color combinations.
Other than being the home of the Jets, MetLife Stadium also hosted the annual Super Bowl game in 2010.
Final Thoughts
The New York Jets are a professional football team that has a rich history dating back to 1959. The Jets have had many great players and coaches over the years and have won one Super Bowl championship.
The team plays its home games at MetLife Stadium, which is also the home of the New York Giants.
If you’ve been to the area, be sure to check out a Jets game! You won’t be disappointed.